The field of the invention relates generally to surface mount electronic components and their manufacture, and more specifically to magnetic components such as inductors and transformers.
With advancements in electronic packaging, the manufacture of smaller, yet powerful electronic devices, has become possible. To enable reductions in size of such devices, electronic components have been increasingly miniaturized. Manufacturing electronic components to meet such requirements presents many difficulties, thereby making the manufacturing process expensive.
Manufacturing processes for magnetic components such as inductors and transformers, like other components, have been scrutinized as a way to reduce costs in the highly competitive electronics manufacturing business. Reduction of manufacturing costs is particularly desirable when the components being manufactured are low cost, high volume components. In a high volume component, any reduction in manufacturing cost is, of course, significant.